Dozens of suspension bridges in Vietnam’s Quang Ngai dangerously decayed, villagers still risk crossing daily

Rusty cables, rotting wooden planks, and sagging decks now hang precariously over rivers, but residents still rely on them each day to farm and take their children to school.

Perched over the Dak Snghe River in Dak Koi Commune, a 50-meter-long suspension bridge connecting Kon Vi Vang Hamlet to local farms has turned fragile and unstable.

The wooden planks have decayed and snapped in several sections, while steel cables are rusted through.

Whenever someone crosses, the entire bridge shakes violently.

“This bridge is our only route,” said Y Thi, a local resident.

“Many planks are broken, but we have no other choice. 

"We must cross it to reach the fields and transport our crops.”

For more than 200 households, the bridge is a lifeline.

U Thanh, head of Hamlet 5 in Dak Koi, said thousands of hectares of cassava, coffee, and rice farms lie across the river.

During the harvest season, villagers must carry heavy sacks of produce over the bridge by motorbike.

“Selling cassava across the river earns about VND2 million [US$76] per metric ton, but if we sell right on the field, we only get half that because transport costs are too high,” Thanh explained.

“The bridge is too weak for trucks, so villagers always lose money. 

"During the rainy season, we must close it to students for safety.”

Nguyen Van Thuy, secretary of the Dak Koi Party Committee, said local authorities are aware of the danger but there is no funding.

“Each year we can only replace a few planks or tighten cables temporarily," Thuy said.

“When the rains come, everyone worries.

"We really hope higher authorities will invest in a permanent bridge."

According to local statistics, around 30 suspension bridges in Dak Koi Commune are now severely degraded, most built by villagers using forest wood and steel cables.

Many have sagging decks or missing planks, posing a constant risk of collapse.

In neighboring Dak Pxi Commune, a suspension bridge in Hamlet 9 faces the same fate.

“It used to be strong, but now it’s all rotted,” said A Ven, a local man.

“When it rains and water rises, my child trembles crossing to school, afraid of slipping into the river. 

"We hope authorities can build a new one soon.”

Phan Van Cuong, chairman of the Dak Pxi administration, said the locality has begun procedures to construct a new bridge.

“While waiting for construction, we’ve put up warning signs and urged residents not to use the old bridge during heavy rain," Cuong said.

"Resources are limited, but this is an urgent need for our people."

For mountain communities in Quang Ngai, these suspension bridges are more than a means of crossing, they are pathways to livelihoods and education.

Yet as many of them have fallen into disrepair, fears of collapse loom larger with each coming storm season.